


Picking Up The Pieces

by setsurislight



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27560866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setsurislight/pseuds/setsurislight
Summary: [Spoilers for [K] season 1] This fic takes place after the end of season one and before the movie Missing Kings. Before Kusanagi goes to Germany to research the Dresden Slate, he takes Anna to his apartment for a sleepover while Homra begins to disband. While thinking about their respective futures, he struggles with the question of whether or not Anna would like him to officially adopt her. After a life of abuse, Anna struggles to believe that anyone would want to keep her.
Kudos: 6





	Picking Up The Pieces

The silence that surrounded the both of these former clansmen bridged the gap between them. One, a tall older man with dirty-blonde hair bundled in a long black coat, and the other being a young girl with hair as white as the snow that often fell these days walked side-by-side down the streets of Shizume. It was unusual not to see an entourage around the both of them--their family having been so close had dispersed in their time of grieving. The bar that acted as the group's base was closed down for today, with the owner unable to concentrate enough to do his job properly. Izumo was unwilling to allow Anna to stay in Homra alone, and so he would often either sleep there lately or take her home with him on weekends or days she didn't have school the next morning. Occasionally another member of the clan, Rikio, might offer to do the same.

Both Izumo and Anna had eyes that seemed devoid of light, and while the girl usually had a certain emptiness falling upon her expression, it was truly uncharacteristic of the man. Even after the death of their King, Izumo would keep a false grin at his disposal as a coping mechanism. When he wasn't amongst others, the corners of his mouth would fall solemnly and his eyes would grow downcast. While the bartender could fool others with a show of strength, this girl was among the few that could see through his every action. For being so young it was startling how perceptive the Strain could be.

One block away from his apartment, the two stood at a crosswalk, waiting for the cars to halt for pedestrian traffic and for the sign to change. When the red palm changed to a white walking man, Izumo lifted Anna's hand and held it in his own, as if holding hands would cast some sort of protection spell around the two as they crossed. It was night time, and the streetlights glowed to light their path. Even after they crossed, the man didn't feel the need to let go of her hand. Though Anna always built walls around herself, her presence was a reassuring force to him and the entirety of the disjointed red clan. She was their princess, and always would be.

"Anna, it's still early ya' know. You wanna watch some shows on tv and have some snacks?" the man asked softly, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.

The girl nodded her head in response. She didn't feel tired yet. She hadn't been sleeping well after Mikoto anyway. She knew that sleep would only bring her more bad dreams.

Within a few mere minutes the two arrived to the tall apartment building, unlocked the main hall's doorway and walked three floors up to the bartender's room. It was only then that the man let go of her pale hand to unlock the door. He let her in the door first, where she instinctively took off her shoes and set them aside, placing her overnight backpack onto the couch and her jacket onto one of the chairs in the kitchen. When she was finished, she walked back up to the blonde and weakly pointed towards the living room. A girl of few words, the man had learned to decipher exactly what she meant.

"Go ahead an' find something on tv ya' wanna watch. There're some more pillows n' blankets in the hall closet, princess." He ruffled her hair. "When ya' get tired, get changed into your pjs. You're takin' my bed, and I'll sleep on the couch, alright sweetness?"

The girl nodded again, turning around and walking out of the kitchen.

The blonde was left to his own devices for the time being. Taking in a deep breath, he put a tea kettle on the stove to boil some water for hot chocolate. He had some store-bought cookies in a round container in the cabinet, the bottom layer of which had basically been crushed to crumbs. So maybe it wasn't the most heartfelt and well-prepared snack, but then again, Homra's definition of "family" and taking care of one another had always been laxer and more casual. It was something free of expectation and formalities. 

When he waited for the water to boil, Izumo carefully shuffled over to the doorway that looked into the living room. He peeked his head out to see Anna settled down and pulling items out of her bag. Some cartoon was on the screen, and the girl had kept the lights off. The glow of the tv reflected different colors onto the girl's snowy hair and she pulled her knees closer to her. Seeing that, there was a twang of guilt that pierced at the man's chest. Years ago, he had never thought he could be anything close to a father. As a young man, he had no plans of having any soon, but sometimes Anna had him considering otherwise. Now that Mikoto was gone, maybe it was his responsibility to adopt her. Would she even like that?

He knew how to handle teenagers-- a bunch of rowdy older boys that need a good smack of reality? Sure. But an innocent little girl, especially having gone through as much as Anna had? He adored the girl, and felt like now that two of her beloved caretakers were gone, she needed him more than ever. Hell, maybe it was him that needed Anna more than she needed him. He couldn't tell with her defensive silence exactly what she was feeling, and who she wanted to cling to the most for support, if anyone at all. But how was he supposed to go about all of this? Did he even deserve to be a father?

The bartender ran a hand through his hair in thought, but ultimately found it too difficult to come to a definitive decision. He wanted to do everything he could for her now. He wanted to be as careful and cautious as he could so that she wouldn't have to experience losing anyone else, ever. He wanted to be able to be someone the girl could open up to if she ever wanted to, and when that day arrived, he would be listening to every single word without hesitation. And he would be there to comfort her if she ever felt like she needed to break down those walls a little and cry. He would be there for her when she frowned, and when she smiled too, just talking about whatever was on her mind.

But how could he? Did he really have what it takes to be able to be as close to this girl as the ones she loved and lost? Or would he just be a failure in his endeavors? 

Izumo's thoughts were interrupted by the whistle of the tea kettle.

He grabbed two mugs out of the cabinet and spooned in some powdered chocolate into each, adding the water on top and stirring. He turned off the stove and adjusted the kettle sideways on the burner. Carrying the cookie container under his arm and the two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands, he put the drinks down on the coffee table in the living room first, and then the cookies were placed in the middle. He didn't really want any, but he knew that Anna loved her sweets. She was now snuggled up under a red comforter, nearly getting lost among the folds of fabric. She rose up from leaning against the arm of the couch to grab her mug, looking akin to a wiggling caterpillar.

When the girl struggled to move her arms so that she could take a sip, the man rearranged the comforter so it draped across the sides and left more room below her shoulders. Then, she blew on the drink and tested the temperature, still deciding it was too hot to taste just yet. She looked over to the man and gave a fleeting, sheepish smile, almost too muted to notice by someone who wasn't paying much attention. However, the blonde had been fixated on her after the thoughts he considered in the kitchen grew louder and more daunting in his mind.

"Do you want to keep living with us, princess? You...don't mind a bunch of reckless guys like us, do you?" The blonde asked quietly, paying no regards to the television show, or anything but the pale face in front of him. 

Anna's eyes grew wider for a moment, and then and cast her sights towards the edge of the coffee table. She felt a tension in her nerves from those words, but she told herself she wouldn't cry over something silly like this. If she could help it, she never wanted to cry again. But that feeling came back to her. It came back to her so often over the past few months. Now, the winter was almost gone, and she felt herself shut off her senses the best that she could. Still, somehow, she knew that this was an unhealthy way to grieve, even if it was all that she had known. Eventually, she would have to feel free to share what she was feeling to the people she trusted. That was one thing she didn't have to assure herself of-- despite all that had happened to her, there were still people who wanted to support her, like Izumo, Rikio and Misaki.

"Do you...not want me here?" Anna asked quietly. Her eyes were glossy against the light of the television, but she didn't cry. If they did, she would just have to start over again. That's what her life had become; it was a cycle of starting over.

"No, sweetheart that's not it! Don't ever say somethin' like that again." Izumo reached around to her left shoulder and held the girl closer to his chest. He didn't mean to make it sound like that. At this moment, he cursed his own indecision, but knew that he had to explain to her further about what he actually meant.

"It's the opposite... I'm just...not really sure what to do anymore." He rubbed at his face and inhaled through his nose. "I want to do everythin' I can to give you a better life, where you don't have ta' feel like it's all temporary anymore. I wanna be a solid foundation for you, so you can stop worryin' about all of us idiots and start doin' things you wanna do, princess... I...I wanna take care of you from now on."

Anna didn't say anything to that. She couldnt find the right reaction to something like that. Izumo had been taking care of her since she became a part of Homra, hadn't he? Since her aunt decided this family had been the best choice to save her. But the circumstances had changed greatly since those days, even if deep inside they felt the same--like she was right back at square one. She needed to stall in some way to be able to grasp at what was a "proper" response to something like that...or maybe not a proper response...but what she really wanted, so she took a few sips of her cocoa.

"Homra is my home...and everyone in it..." she spoke slowly. "Izumo too..." she could feel the steam from her drink rising up and threatening to make her nose water. "I don't mind living here, but...I want to be able to see everyone else too..."

Somehow, just that simple statement gave the blonde a great feeling of relief. He let his cheek fall on the top of her head and smiled in melancholy. "Of course, princess. I wouldn't ever take ya' away from them. And they all love you too."

Still feeling uneasy and hesitant in her responses, Anna tried to make herself as small as possible by pressing her knees together under the comforter and bringing her shoulders inwards as well. For a few minutes, neither said anything else. The two just sat watching cartoons, animals chasing other animals around in circles, the overused sound effects and circus background music. But Anna had one more thing to ask.

"Izumo?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Why do people disappear...?"

Now, Anna understood the concept of death. She'd seen way too much of it to be ignorant of it anymore. That wasn't what she was asking. Maybe she just needed reassurance that it wasn't her-- that being around her didn't cause someone to die or be endangered, that it wasn't her bad luck or her power that caused others to suffer.

The bartender thought over her question for a minute, and then she could feel him shrug beside her.

"I really...don't know, princess. It's not you, it's not me. It's not whether someone lives as an honest man or as an evil man...no one really knows why people disappear. And I never used to be, but lately, I've been scared of it every day. But I guess I'll just have to rely on you to help me with that."

The two met each other's eyes for a moment, and somehow came to a mutual, yet unspoken understanding. Anna continued to finish her hot chocolate, and until bed time when Izumo told her to brush her teeth and get into bed, they didn't share another word. They didn't need to, really. Just the company was enough to fill the void. And when the blonde tucked the girl into bed for the night, he kissed Anna on the forehead and whispered, "I won't disappear from you, I promise, princess. Good night." before turning off the light and moving back to the living room.

It may not have seemed like much--maybe to some kind of celestial observer they would have questioned the sincerity of the man. However, something so straightforward and reassuring as that actually did give Anna comfort. And that night, she slept soundly in that apartment for the first time in many months.


End file.
